November 13th Municipal Election – Find Out Where The Candidates Stand

by Board of Directors,.
Carlington Community and Health Services.

Enjoying high-quality services in our communities is something many of
us take for granted. When we vote for the Mayor and Councillors for the
new City of Ottawa on November 13th, we will be choosing a future
direction for our communities along with a set of values and trade-offs to
be made when developing our City.

As we decide who should get our vote, it is important to think about a
just and caring community for all members. Collectively we have increased
choices as our new city enjoys growth, new wealth, and diversity. Yet some
community members with lower incomes and poor health continue to face
challenges. When we meet the candidates or read about their views, here
are some issues and questions to keep in mind:

Access to services and user fees: City services are meant to improve
quality of life for all citizens. Lower and middle income individuals and
families depend on affordable and accessible services such as arenas,
libraries, parks, and recreation facilities. But the Transition Board's
recommendation that user fees for a variety of such services be increased
by 5% will mean that many families will not be able to afford these
services. A 5% increase might not seem like much, but there are already
families with lower and middle incomes who cannot afford the current fees.
An increase would put healthy and enjoyable leisure activities out of the
reach of these families. So one set of questions to ask is, “Are you
willing to reverse the Transition Board's decision to increase recreation
and other user fees? What concrete measures will you take to ensure that
everyone in Ottawa has access to community services?”

Housing: Housing is a concern for many Ottawa residents. Prices for
rental housing are going up, putting a tight squeeze on many families'
budgets. For people with lower incomes, the obstacles are even greater. At
the moment there is a SEVEN-YEAR waiting list for social housing. Even for
those in extreme risk, such as the homeless or those fleeing extreme
violence, the wait is almost one and one-half years! Clearly this
situation is unacceptable to a compassionate community that cares about
the welfare of all of its citizens. Thus other questions to ask are, “What
will you do to address the need for affordable rental housing? and What
concrete measures will you take to address the growing number of homeless
persons (including children and families) on the streets of our city?”

Public transportation for all: Improving public transit will help
alleviate growing traffic problems. Buses are the only means of
transportation available to many lower-income residents, whether for
running everyday errands or for travel to jobs, job interviews, or school.
But bus travel is very expensive in Ottawa. In many other cities, bus
trips taken outside of rush hour are lower in cost. If Ottawa had such a
fare structure, many more lower-income residents could afford to travel to
these necessary appointments and meetings. Many seniors face an additional
challenge: they prefer to use buses during off-peak hours, when they are
less crowded. However, during these times, bus service on many lines is
cut back, leaving seniors stranded. Increasing pressures on ParaTranspo
have also negatively affected the mobility of many seniors, as well as
many disabled residents. Decreased access to convenient and affordable
public transportation has left many of these community members isolated in
their homes. These issues lead to another question to ask candidates,
which is, “How do you propose to increase access to appropriate and
affordable public transportation for all area residents?”

There are many ways to find out how candidates will respond to these
and other issues. Plan to meet the candidates at town hall meetings or
call their offices and ask about their voting records. These phone numbers
can be found elsewhere in this newspaper. Read about their views in the
newspaper or listen to them speak on radio and television. The answers
candidates give to these questions will determine what kind of city we
will have in the future. Let's insist that the quality services Ottawa
residents have long enjoyed remain accessible to everyone.